On The 280th Day I Went To The Library Not The Liberry

On The 280th Day I Went To The Library Not The Liberry, originally uploaded by ⓅⒶⓎⓅⒶⓊⓁ.

The Brooklyn Public Library at Kings Highway and Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn recently underwent a major renovation. Now it is a technological showpiece for what may be the library of the next half century. They have automated checkout machines, drop boxes for returned books and media, a somewhat Bauhaus style architecture on one side and, of all things, a QUIET reading room. Silence is one thing that has become a thing of the past at the Brooklyn Public Library where all sorts of chaos and noise is tolerated or not addressed anymore. One librarian told me that they are not allowed to tell patrons to be quiet anymore. What or who are the administrators of the Brooklyn Public Library afraid of?

The best information I got as to why most of the libraries are not ALLOWED to be quiet anymore came from a security guard. If you ever want accurate information about what's going on in the libraries just ask Security. It seems the paradigm of the Brooklyn Public Library is now one of "reaching out to the community" and making the library a social gathering place. So the actual purpose of a library ie: as a place for education and study, is no longer viable.